The following morning, an unexpected letter came to Mars, and eventually was handed to the Queen herself.

 

No one had a clue as of where it was from, who left it, or even how it reached the ground in front of the castle gate. A guard found it and reported it to Phobos, before the black-enveloped paper was delivered to Queen CL by the Commander himself.

 

The letter read as follows:

 

Fire starts everything.

 

When The Queen looked at Phobos again, she could see pools of sweat on the forehead of the tall, seemingly fearless soldier.

 

“Phobos” She called. “Please look into my eyes and tell me that you are not thinking the same as what I am. Please tell me that I am wrong”

 

“I wish I could, Your Majesty” The Commander’s voice was marked with shaky breaths.

 

Queen CL closed and opened her eyes. “Come what may, we Martians are never afraid anyway”

 

Phobos nodded. It was hard to not feel scared, but he chose to trust in his Queen’s courage. “Do we tell Princess Jennie?”

 

The Queen met his gaze. “It was time to tell her, although not everything, yet”

 

#

 

Jisoo watched attentively yet silently as Jennie put more and more food to her plate the next morning. This had been the eighth slice of beef that the Martian added for her. What got Jisoo wondering was not exactly the amount of food, since she loved eating anyway, but the way Jennie acted.

 

“Is something bothering you?” She finally asked.

 

Jennie looked up so suddenly that it was almost as if she got caught doing something. “No, nothing. Why?”

 

“You keep adding more and more to my plate and you yourself are barely eating” Jisoo smiled. “And I love food, but I might gain weight before our marriage, Jennie”

 

“Ah, sorry” Jennie brought the next slice to her own plate afterwards. “Don’t mind me, I just want to cater to you more so I can be a good wife”

 

With that Jennie managed to pull Jisoo’s smile wider.

 

“What do you know about Jisoo? What if the whole prophecy thing is not true and you have to foolishly spend your life with someone you-"

 

Nayeon’s questions flooded her mind instantly, almost without her permission. She gulped noiselessly as anxiety kicked her in the gut. Nayeon really said that to her. Nayeon, her childhood friend. She didn’t see that coming. But Nayeon knew her since they were toddlers, why would she say that? To hurt her? What good could come to the Plutonian from hurting her?

 

Unless, if Nayeon was simply worried about her. And she needed to talk it down to the girl to figure out.

 

#

 

Jennie walked to her childhood friend’s room right after breakfast and found the girl there.

 

She found her on her bed, swirling a rose in her hand and inhaling the scent. She looked at Jennie soon as she realized her presence on the side of the door.

 

“Do you still remember?” Nayeon began. “When we were kids, every time I came here, you would pick up a rose from the garden and gave it to me”

 

“Yes, I still remember” The Martian replied before stepping further into the room. “Why were you not there during breakfast?”

 

“Figured out that you were having the meal with your fiancé, and I didn’t want to interrupt” Their eyes met and Nayeon smiled. “I have no bad intention, you know”

 

The Martian sighed. “I know, I am sorry about last night”

 

“Sit here then, dumpling” Nayeon patted the vacant space next to her.

 

Jennie accepted the invitation. They sat side to side, gap non-existent like it had been since their past time.

 

“You must have wondered why I said such things yesterday, right?” The Plutonian continued.

 

“You know me very well” This time, Jennie smiled at her.

 

“Yes, very well indeed because I have known you for ages. And as your childhood friend, I don’t just say things to you without reasons, don’t you think?”

 

“Yes” Jennie looked at the girl again. “Which is why I am here. I do not want to make you think I no longer trust you as a friend. I believe you have reasons”

 

“I actually like Jisoo a lot. She seems nice, and is very beautiful, too” Nayeon turned her head and found Jennie still staring at her, a sign she knew well that she had to continue. “You may have fallen for Jisoo, I got that. But Jen, marriage can’t depend on love alone. Your life can’t depend on love alone”

 

Jennie’s fingers scraped the bed sheet.

 

“What kind of person is Jisoo? You barely know her deeply and yet you have decided to throw yourself to the marriage scheme. Not saying you shouldn’t marry her, just that you’d better take your time knowing her before you make a decision that you will be either grateful for or regret for for the rest of your life”

 

Nayeon waited until her companion made a reaction, but the Martian seemed to be tight-lipped. She elbowed the girl, making Jennie finally look at her.

 

“Don’t be so worried, dumpling. What I say might not be true after all” She laughed. “Or, if I were you, maybe I would marry someone I have known much better and longer. Such as… a childhood friend, perhaps?”

 

Jennie stared at her with two widening eyes.

 

“I was just kidding” She chuckled and stood up. “I’m hungry now so I’ll go get my breakfast. I will see you later, dumpling”

 

“Okay. Thank you for the talk, Nayeonie”

 

“Don’t mention it” The Plutonian walked for a bit, but then she halted and turned around. “You know, dumpling? I was partly joking and partly serious, I guess. Don’t know which one is more”

 

Jennie’s reflex was widening her eyes once more and staying quiet as she watched Nayeon step away.

 

#

 

As if the talk with Nayeon was not enough, a call from her mother added to Jennie’s torture that day. She sighed as she walked to the throne room, complaining secretly about the little time she had to spend with Jisoo that day.

 

This was not helping, she thought. Her mind was troubled enough because of Nayeon’s advice and she wanted to see the Venusian’s smile as a sedative to her soul.

 

The door of the throne room opened, revealing the guards who bowed to her in an instant after she stepped in, and of course, Queen CL on the throne chair.

 

“Mother” She bowed to The Queen of Mars. “What is it that you want to talk to me about?”

 

“Jennie” The kind of aura that her mother made in her eyes gave Jennie unpleasant feelings. “We are expecting a war soon”

 

The Princess looked up immediately. Her mind needed a few seconds to let it sink.

 

“War!?” She yelled at last.

 

Her mother nodded. “I know it has been a while since we were in one, but this time, it is inevitable”

 

Jennie stood still, lips rather trembling.

 

“And it is a large scale. Jennie, I will send Jisoo back to Venus as soon as possible. Probably tonight”

 

Her mother kept speaking, mostly about more details. The only information that Jennie could comprehend was ‘No one knows when and no one knows who is attacking’, but mostly, she was not really listening. Her mind was too busy processing everything that had so suddenly turned the table that day. Nayeon’s words. Jisoo. Their marriage. The war.

 

And in the midst of everything that was buzzing in her tangled thoughts, a single question surfaced.

 

“What is happening?”

 

She asked, and only after a few seconds later she realized that she had cut her mother’s speech. The fact that her mother could only fall silent as she beamed her adamant eyes was depressing.

 

“What is happening, Mother?” She repeated. “I was- Jisoo and I were attacked in Venus. Jisoo was almost murdered here. Now a war is taking place. Answer me, what is happening?”

 

It was the first time in Jennie’s life seeing fear in the eyes of her mother - the seemingly dauntless Queen of Mars. It was the first time that she saw Queen CL’s lips quivering.

 

“I promise I will tell you after the war, my daughter” Her mother finally answered. “I promise”

 

“Is this about my marriage?” Jennie unwaveringly proceeded. “Tell me, at least, is this about the marriage?”

 

The Queen nodded and Jennie let out a shaky breath. So it was about the marriage. Maybe they were not supposed to be together after all, just like what Nayeon said. Jennie shook her head as the unwanted thought struck her.

 

What was she thinking? All the pieces of puzzle that she had right now failed to give her a clear picture about anything, everything.

 

---

 

Hello :)

I hope you enjoy this chapter. I will appreciate any kind of support from your comments. 

Until the next update.

 

Edit:

If you love this fic, you should listen to 'Venus' and 'Mars' by Sleeping At Last. I badly want the songs to be a soundtrack for this fic lol

Recommended by: rainbowpersona ;)